Post: Oct. 17, 2019
Students from Marlboro High School toured Sono-Tek Corp. in Milton, NY, for MFG Day on October 4th. In addition to facility tours that day, the Council of Industry broadcast of Hudson Valley Focus Live was held at Selux Corp. In Highland, NY and featured several members and friends of the Council. Pine Bush High School also held an Advanced Manufacturing and STEAM career night on October 2nd with many CI member companies in attendance.
The staff at the Council of Industry has been very busy lately. October is Manufacturing Month and in addition to MFG Day events (see photo above) we have been putting together the latest issue of HV Mfg for our members. The Fall 2019 HV Mfg is hot off the press and chock-full of fascinating articles. Hard copies should be arriving in the mail this week and next and the digital version is available on our website here.
In the Fall 2019 Issue you will find:
Also included our Manufacturing Resource Guide, News briefs and a letter from Harold King, President of the Council of Industry
The Council has a variety of training going on right now, such as the Certificate in Manufacturing Leadership Program at Westchester Community College and Regulatory and Saftey Training, which includes an OSHA 10 Hour certification and First Aid training offered free to registered apprentices. There is an EHS Network Meeting on Confined Space coming up and we are organizing a bus tour for Westchester County Educators to visit manufacturers in that area.
We have also been busy recruiting new members and would like to welcome the following:
And new associate members:
Do you know a manufacturing company that should be part of our association? Help us make a connection.
Post: Dec. 4, 2018
Our blogs often discuss the ongoing manufacturing skills gaps and the need for quality and capable workers throughout the manufacturing industry. Manufactures face these struggles daily and although “90 percent of manufacturers are expressing optimism about the future nearly as many, about 75 percent, are expressing deep concerns about their ability to attract and retain a quality workforce moving forward.”
Luckily this is an issue that NAM and the overall industry is working together to overcome. One of the ways their doing this is through the organization of Manufacturing Day across the county. Kicking off at the beginning of October each year, Manufacturing Day is a great way to inspire young Americans to imagine themselves working in the manufacturing industry. MFG Day is when thousands of manufacturers and schools come together and open their doors to students, teachers, and family members.
This is the kind of opportunity that many manufacturers have been looking for to change the old perceptions about manufacturing and show the public what modern manufacturing really looks like. People who are attending these MFG Day events are learning that manufacturing careers are often high-skill and typically pay better than jobs in other industries. Teaching students that there are other options outside of college that can lead to a fulfilling career is important, and these events are helping spread that message.
The Council of Industry helped to coordinate several Manufacturing Day events throughout the Hudson Valley in early October with the help of our members. On October 5th the Council of Industry, in partnership with Pine Bush High School, hosted the Manufacturing Career Exploration Night. The event was filled with engaging demonstrations, displays and conversations. Over 200 people attended Manufacturing Career Exploration Night at Pine Bush High School including students, facility, parents and community members.
Many of our members got involved in the event including Schatz Bearing Corporation, MPI, Cambridge Security Seals, EFCO and FALA Technologies to name a few. Each company engaging the young students of Pine Bush High School and teaching them what a career in manufacturing could look like right here in the Hudson Valley. Our members at Sono-Tek, Ametek Rotron and Meyer Tool also hosted events of their own, inviting Hudson Valley students to tour their facilities and get an up close and personal view of manufacturing.
The Council of Industry plans to continue their involvement in MFG Day each year and continuously increase member involvement. If you’re interested in getting involved in next years events you can contact us at jhansen@councilofindustry.org. Together we can show the community how the Hudson Valley does manufacturing!
For more information about Manufacturing Day read the full article here.
Post: Sep. 19, 2018
We will kick off Manufacturing Day here in the Hudson Valley early with Pine Bush High School’s First Annual Career night on October 4th from 6:30 – 8:30 at PBHS. We are inviting HV Manufacturers to register for an exhibitor booth to help inform students and parents about manufacturing jobs in the Hudson Valley.
Join over 30 Hudson Valley Manufacturers already committed to help educate parents and students about the importance of Manufacturing and potential career paths. Participating companies will have the opportunity to connect with over 250 students, their parents, and educators and discuss current and potential jobs including internships, part-time employment and apprenticeships. Help us spread the word about the importance of Manufacturing in the Hudson Valley. Find out what companies will be there below.
Then on MFG Day, October 5th we will be broadcasting live from EFCO Products, Inc. in Poughkeepsie with Tom Sipos on Hudson Valley Live. You can tune in at News Radio 1450 WKIP on iHeartRadio or 1450 on your AM radio dial. The show starts at 6 am and will feature a lineup of local manufacturers discussing the issues affecting their companies. We hope you will listen in.
Later in the day, several companies are hosting local students for tours. Ametek Rotron in Woodstock will be hosting students from Pine Bush and Sono-Tek in Milton will be giving tours to students from Highland. Nexans will be holding an event at their facility in Chester, NY as well.
It is never too late to take part in MFG Day. You can still sign up for the career fair with this link. You can also contact us if you would like to host a tour or open house. Events are not limited to October 5th, you can make any day MFG Day by opening your door to the public and raising their awareness of the importance and rewards of manufacturing.
Companies taking part in the Career fair at PBHS:
- Pratt & Whitney, Aerospace Company – Middletown, NY
- Allendale Machine Systems, Machine Tool Distributor of HAAS equipment – Allendale, NJ
- Lloydz Motor Workz, Performance Parts to Riders of Victory and Indian Motorcycles, Pine Bush, NY
- Ametek Rotron, Military & Aerospace Products – Woodstock, NY
- Fala Technologies, Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Semiconductor & Green Energy – Kingston, NY
- Nexans, Advanced Cabling and Connectivity Solutions – Chester, NY
- LoDolce Machine, Manufacturing Parts and Components for Military, Transportation and Computers – Saugerties, NY
- Stanfordville Machines, Precision CNC Machining – Poughkeepsie, NY
- Tompkins Mahopac Bank, Associate Member and Supporter of Mfg Workforce Initiatives
- SUNY Orange, Middletown and Newburgh Campus, NY
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) – Albany Region, NY
- Society for Manufacturing Engineers – SME
- Mechanical Rubber, Custom Manufacturer, Transportation, Defense, Industrial – Warwick, NY
- METCAR, Engineering Carbon / Graphite Solutions, Ossining, NY
- Usheco, Inc, Manufacturing Custom Plastic Parts – Kingston, NY
- Selux, Innovated Lighting Solutions – Highland, NY
- Cambridge Security Seals, Manufacturer of High Security Loss Prevention Seals – Pomona, NY
- SUNY Ulster, Community College offering Credit and Non-Credit Courses – Kingston and Stone Ridge, NY
- Zierick, Manufacturing Complex Interconnection Requirements for HVAC, Automotive, Industrial, Medical and Security – Mt. Kisco, NY
- Princeton Upholstery Co, Furniture Manufacturer – Middletown, NY
- Mokai, Designers, Engineers and Manufacturers of Unique Watercraft – Newburgh
Post: Aug. 30, 2018
On October 4th we will be partnering with Pine Bush High School for the first annual Manufacturing Career Night.
We are inviting HV Manufacturers to register for an exhibitor booth to help inform students and parents about manufacturing jobs in the Hudson Valley.
Participating companies will have the opportunity to connect with over 150 students, their parents, and educators and discuss current and potential jobs including internships, part-time employment, and apprenticeships.
We expect over 150 students and parents to attend plus students from school districts throughout the Hudson Valley.
Join The Council of Industry and Hudson Valley Manufacturers to:
- Help increase Manufacturing Awareness’ with Parents, Students, Teachers and Administrators
- Connect with students to promote current and future jobs including possible internships, summer jobs, apprenticeships and long-term career opportunities.
- Visit and tour Pine Bush High School’s manufacturing/engineering classrooms, check out their projects that have gained national recognition and meet the students enrolled in these programs.
- Support High School Principal, Aaron Hopmayeras he continues to advocate for Manufacturing and skilled trade education through project-based learning and the launch of an SME Prime High School – designed to customize a curriculum to cultivate employees for local Manufacturing employers.
- Capitalize on the marketing and advocacy initiatives of this high-profile event including radio, digital and educator publicity.
Participating Companies To Date:
Pratt & Whitney, Aerospace Company – Middletown, NY
Allendale Machine Systems, Machine Tool Distributor of HAAS equipment – Allendale, NJ
Lloydz Motor Workz, Performance Parts to Riders of Victory and Indian Motorcycles, Pine Bush, NY
Ametek Rotron, Military & Aerospace Products – Woodstock, NY
Fala Technologies, Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Semiconductor & Green Energy – Kingston, NY
Nexans, Advanced Cabling and Connectivity Solutions – Chester, NY
LoDolce Machine, Manufacturing Parts and Components for Military, Transportation and Computers – Saugerties, NY
Stanfordville Machines, Precision CNC Machining – Poughkeepsie, NY
Thompkins Mahopac Bank, Associate Member and Supporter of Mfg Workforce Initiatives
Post:
From MfgDay.com
How can you make sure your Manufacturing Day event is a success? One of the most important things to do is to establish a connection with your guests. Those few hours you spend with them are your chance to communicate the importance of what you do — and the creativity, advanced skills and technology required to do it. Ideally, your passion will spark something similar in the young people who you introduce to manufacturing, inspiring them to learn more about the industry and one day join the manufacturing team.
Follow these seven rules of thumb to improve your chances of connecting with your guests and inspire the next generation of modern manufacturers.
1. Don’t assume visitors know anything about manufacturing.
In planning a good tour — especially when the intended audience members are primarily people with no manufacturing background — you have to start by creating a story of your company that anyone could understand.
- How did your company get started?
- What do you make? Who buys your products?
- What do they do with them?
Keep explanations simple and free of industry jargon. Think storytelling with illustrations rather than textbooks packed with pages of small print.
2. You can’t show everything.
The quickest way to lose the interest of your visitors is to try to show every bit of minutiae. Pick a few stops that represent key stages in the production process and allow you to demonstrate the progress a product makes through the shop.
- What are the best places in the plant to give an overview of the production process and highlight the work of your people and machinery?
- Where will visitors get the best view? Can they hear you?
- Which of your team members are the most enthusiastic about their work and comfortable explaining what they do and why it is important to the process and the company?
These considerations should guide you in planning the tour.
3. Create a display and offer hands-on experiences.
Of course you can’t allow visitors to get up close and personal with your machinery, but you could create a display that illustrates what a product looks like in various stages of completion, where they could be allowed to pick up and hold something they’ve seen made.
Maybe you even have something that one of your machines can make that they could take with them as a souvenir? (This doesn’t mean one of your production parts or finished products!)
4. Clean up before your visitors arrive.
No clutter, everything in its place, floors swept clean, a path through the shop is easy to follow.
Remember that part of the reason to invite visitors to Manufacturing Day events is to prove that manufacturing facilities are great places to work. First impressions count: What does your company look like as visitors approach from the parking lot? Let’s dispel the myths that manufacturing is dark, dirty and dangerous.
Also, make sure employees are dressed neat and clean on tour day and if they have a role to play in explaining things to your visitors, they should be wearing a name badge so that they can be addressed by name when there are questions.
5. Cater to student visitors.
Students are the workforce of the future. This is your opportunity to provide advice about the kinds of careers that your company offers, the type of training and educational coursework you seek when hiring employees. There is no better time to offer comments about opportunities available to dedicated workers with a professional attitude. If there are specific kinds of training or skills that you need and find it hard to hire for, let them know.
6. Put up a welcome sign.
This is important both literally and figuratively. Put a sign on the door, shake hands with visitors, thank them for coming, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the opportunity you have to share your company’s information with them.
7. Send invitations.
Manufacturing Day is a national celebration of the 12 million talented men and women who work in the industry. Who could you invite to share this celebration with you? Here are some ideas:
- The families of your employees. If family events aren’t a common occurrence at your company, this is a perfect day to invite families to come and see where their family member works and learn what they do. Maybe you could do a special event just for family members at the end of the workday.
- Your elected officials. Ever complain about the fact that your elected officials (local, state, federal) don’t make good choices as related to manufacturing? Invite them to come to your plant and see for themselves. Remember: Most elected officials have never set foot inside a manufacturing facility, which means you can educate them!
- Potential customers. Give these folks a reason to want to do business with you. Invite them in on a day when they can see how great your organization is.
- Current customers. Make Manufacturing Day your customer appreciation day. Your business service providers. When was the last time you were visited by your banker, insurance agent or accountant?
- Media. Is there a local reporter who seems to have a serious interest in manufacturing? Invite them to visit your plant on Manufacturing Day. They are always looking for interesting stories to tell. Why not make it yours?
- Youth organizations. Are you active in, or do you know someone who is active in the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or a similar youth organization? Invite them to visit your company as a field trip. Better yet, invite a school group.
More Resources for Making Your MFG Day Event a Success
Creating a successful MFG Day event is hard work and requires careful planning. To help, The Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers have assembled some useful resources for MFG Day event hosts, which we encourage you to download for more tips on how to make your MFG Day event a success:
